Loose-leaf-dispensing device.



H. P. BROWNL C. L. JOHNSTN.

LOOSE LEAF DISPENSING DEVICE.

APPUCATION FILED APR. i3. 1914.

Patented Apr. 13, 195.

2 SHBETSSHEET l.

H. P. BROWN L C. L. JOHNSTON.

LOOSE LEAF UISPENSING DEVICE.

VVITNESSES:

i fwfm@ .VITURNHY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BDMCE P. BROWN AND CLARENCE L. JOHNSTON, 0F EMERYVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

LOQSE-LEAF-DISPENSING DEVICE.

`Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that We, HORACE lP. BROWN and CLARENCE L. JOHNSTON, citizens of the United States, residing at Emeryville, in the county of Alameda and. State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Loote-Leaf-Dispensing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for containing and dispensing inter olded sheets of paper, or the like.

It 1s the special object of the present inventon to design a simple, raetieal, cheap device of minimum size an` maximum capaeity for holding and dispensing paper towels, and whereby the towels are capable of bein withdrawn one at a time. Preferably this holder is provided with a movable front or panel :forming a door through which the holder ma be charged,

A further o ject of the present invention is to so construct the holder that when the stack of towels has been positioned within the Container and the latter is in upright operative position, the lowermost towels or sheets ofthe stack will he automatically positioned so that they stand approximately vertical and at. the lower front portion of the container' and adjacent to the mouth of the holder so that the sheets are wiihdrawalile from the front one by one.

The invention Consists of the parts and the construction and comhination of partt as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, havinlgr reference to the aoeonipany ing drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective of the devine in closed position rendir for use. Fig. EE is a central, vertical section through the closed container. Fig. 3 is a central. transverse seo` tion showing the container in the open. charging position. Fig. l is a plan view ot' the device in open position. Fig. 5 shows dia rammatically a plni'alitiT oi 'tht-'inter-k fol ed sheets, such may he dispensed from the device. Fig. (i is a sert'on ol' a inodiiied form.

A represents a paper towel Jfolded upon itsel to provide two tiap portions, one oi which is interfolded with a similar sheet, the

lower-most fiap e of the sheet forming a lnger hold therewith to grasp the towel and draw it from the holder, as shown in Fig. 2, all as will later be explained. Y

T he present eontainer consists of a back il. of suitable material and proportions, which may be sorewed or likewise securely fastened to a vertical support, such as a wall, or post 3. Upon the lower horizontal edge of thi.l hack 3 there is connected, by hinges 4, or other suitable means, a shallow box 5, the depth of which is determined by the size ot the towels or other pieces (i, which are stacked in interfolded zig-zag order, as shown in Fig.

As it is one of the most important features of the invention to provide ay containei which will ocupy as little space possible, we have observed that, hy arranging the stack of towels so that the individual towels will lie diagonally. they will occupy a Inutili narrower spare than when starked in :i soli stantially horizontal, superposed position. Itis this observation that led to the provision and successful use oi a container with a box memiier 5 of comparativeshallow depth in wliioh the stark oi' towels is so positioni-al that tho individual towels will lie ohliquely to the vertical axis oi the holder.

Near the lower part of the front or bottoni oi' the container 5 there is provided a transverse mouth or aperture 7.. of suitable width, the opposite edges oi' which are prin vided with upwardly and downwardly curved lips S1' between which is a roller S' oier whit-h tho individual tonols may lio drawn without lafferation or heilig severed, For n'mintaining the lower 'towels of the stack in a sillmtantiallv vei'tiral position against the front of the box 3. when the lat-- ter is lof-od to its vertir'al position., there is provided a guidiniolnlier having a diagonally disposed bottoni portion SlonY which the stai-.li rests. an-.l has a hawk portion lll supporting the roar edges oi the stack. Pretoralrllv this guide meinlior hinged to the notiom of hor( 5 at ll. This guido llY lil will support the stai-,li so that tho first or hottommost sheet will stand verticalli' across the mouth T with the iap a of the tirst towel toy exposed through the mouth in position for withdrawal. l

For permitting the easy insertion of a stack of tow'els in the container or boX 5, the latter is swung downwardly about its hinge -l to a horizontal position (see dotted lines, ["ig. 2) in which position it is usable as a table upon which the stack of towels may be disposed. The guide 9-*10 is lifted in its hinge 11, and the operator pushes the stack along the bottom of the box 5 so that the first towels will appi'oach the guide 9 and the flap a of the leading towel exposed through the mouth 7.'n The inclined guide member 9-10 is then dropped over the stack and cover fashion into the box; the boxv lifted into vertical position and locked by suitable means as at 12, whereupon the device is charged and ready for use.

This device provides a container in which the box forms a closed front, and the arts 9-10 a movable back with the part 9 Y orniing an inclined bottom arranged with its lower end contiguous to the lower edge of the front portion, and the front provided with an outlet adjacent to the juncture of the front and the inclined bottom; the parts being so constructed and arranged that a stack of leaves gradually change from a rearwardly and downwardly7 inclined position at the top to a substantially7 vertical position as the leaves approach the out-let; the lowerinost leaf having its flap a protruding through the outlet to furnish a fingern hold by which the towel may be withdrawn. The interleaving of the towels causes each towel as it is withdrawn to present the flap a of the succeeding towel through the opening.

One purpose of designing the bottom guide support of the container so as to maintain the lowermost towels vertical is' to relieve the lowermost towels from the entire weight of the superposed stack in the container, and to maintain the lowermost towels in such position that the force applied to the outwardly hanging leaf, extending through the mouth of the container, is at right angles to the pressure of the stack of towels in the container; this being in con.- tradistinction to having the mouth of the container so disposed that the direction of the pull on the outwardly hanging leaf of a towel is in the direction of the pressure of the stack. ln order-to lessen friction on the sheets as drawn forth through the. mouth, we may interpose a transverse roller 8', as shown.

ln Fig. 6 we have shown a modification of the invention wherein the same princi` ple of interleaved sheets is employed. but with a simple carton 5 which may be of paper or card-board with a feed-slot 7 and a rearwardly and upwardly sloping bottom 9. A carton of this sort may .be provided with a tab 13 by which it can be hung up on a wall or post and ready for instant use.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A container arranged to receive a stack of leaves, and having an outlet at a distance above its bottoni for the withdrawal of the leaves, and means for causing the leaves gradually to change from a rearwardly and downwardly inclined position to a Substantially vertical position as the towels approach the outlet so that the upper ends of the towels may be withdrawn through said outlet.

2. A dispensing device for paper towels consisting of a container of less depth than the length of the towels so as to cause the latter tobe diagonally arranged in the Container having a substantially vertical front wall formed with a discharge mouth above the lower end of said wall, and having a downwardly and forwardly inclined bottom hereby towels stacked within the container will have their lower ends successively engaged with said bottom and will be e11- gaged with the front wall and held vertical thereagainst by the, pressure of the remaining towels.

3. A. dispensing device for pa er towels consisting of a container of less epth than the length of the towels so as to cause the latter to be'diagonally arranged in the container having a discharge mouth, and means arranged adjacent to said mouth to engage th(l lower ends of the towels so as to present the towels vertically and with their upper ends adjacent tio said mouth.

In a paper towel dispensing device, a container having an open back hinged to a suitable support and having a discharge mouth in its front and between its ends, and a back for the container having an inclined lower end which hinged at its free extreniity to the container adjacent to the front of the container and below said discharge mouth to allow towels to be diagonally placed within the container with the upper ends of the innermost towels adjacent to said mouth by moving said back on its hinge away from the container front and then moving the back to engage with the towels.

5, Tn a paper towel l dispensing device, a container of less depth than the length of thel towels so as to cause the latter to be diago'nally arranged in the container liaving an open back, means to hinge the container to a support. and a back for the container having an inclined lower end to engage the lower ends of the towels, Said back boing movable with relation to the c0nminer so as to allow the towels to be placed in the container and to then allow the back to be engaged with the towels, said conl set our hands in the 'presence lof two sub tainer having a discharge through which scribing witnesses.

the upper ends of the towels may be withdrawn which is disiosed to aline with the 5 upper ends ofv the owermost towels when the lower ends of said towels are engkd with said lower end' of the container In testimony whereof we have hereunto HORACE P. BROWN. CLARENCE IL. JCHNSTCN.

Witnesses:

. WILLARD W. Wurm,

FLORENCE M. KING. 

